following grace

Y'all. Im going home for my birthday In 12 days   But I totally haven't been counting since last week..   This past week was ROUGH. But thank goodness its over, down the drain. forever.   Here are some highlights..   lunch with old friends. :)     Fun in education class with new friends.   Dinner at 4pm. Because we can. ;) Going to the gym and watching the boys play basketball while we ran. Good times, y'all! Driving up the mountain for some relaxation time. and looking out over the city and praying over it.   Talk about a spiritual high.   Had some good moments this week, and praying for a better week this week. and then the next week, HOME SWEET HOME.   Have a great week y'all!   -Austyn  

    College is such a learning experience.   I think truly, even at a Christian college my faith has been tested and tried more than ever.   Weird, you think. I know. But I came into college with this envision that my spiritual life would be on such a high. hours and hours a day of quiet time, and bible reading. and praying for hours on end.   And when it didnt happen that way, I started to just plummet.   This week was a really good week for me. I heard a really good message the other day, exactly what I needed to hear.   And after a few days of chewing on it, this morning my devotion was on humbling yourself.   Humility is the first step to having a deeper relationship with Jesus. Without realizing you are nothing apart from him, you cant get anywhere.   So when I read 2 Chronicles 7:14 "My people who are called by MY name, humble themselves and pray and seek MY face and turn from their wicked wa...

It's actually been a week {and a half} but who's counting?   Its been a joy, I absolutely am so in love, and don't have time for details because warm comforters and soft pillows are calling me, but here are some IG pics to give you a glimpse of the glory.   I am so in love with college, and don't ever wanna leave. Except to go home in a few weeks, because I miss my peeps. ;) Freshman Kick off. Church with my lovely friend. Shopping and lunch. Because freedom makes you a little crazy. 1st day of school bliss. Beautiful crazy roommates who keep you laughing and entertained. Pizza with a side of homework. the real college life, right?! Convocation. And even sissy came to visit to celebrate my survival of the 1st week! Snow cone tongues. Block Party fun. And beautiful quilts to keep you warm on COLD VA nights. :)   Back with more later!   -Austyn

While college is absolutely beyond wonderful, and I have much to post on that soon..   I wanted to intercept my little crazy schedule and homework time to share my greatest joy..   As you all know, my prince, my Korean brother is my heart and soul. I adore him with every fiber in my being.   And tonight when I was reminded he was getting baptized, I was absolutely broken. I was excited, but so sad that I couldn't be there to congratulate him and hug him a little tighter. I'm so proud of what God is working in his life, and so honored to have been sent pictures. All my friends got right around the pool and texted me their pictures, each and every one. I was so overwhelmed with love, and so thankful to be there in spirit.   Look at this little cutie.. Starting 3rd grade tomorrow. What an amazing way to start a new school and school year.     I love you little bit.   Do you not know that all of us who have be...

    Y'all, college life is just so different. It's so huge to take in all at once, in fact I dont think i've gotten there even still.   Both roomates are off to their seminars and here I sit. I look out my window and see hundreds of people going every different direction and I'm just lost in the mix of it all.   I dont even know where to begin. The chaos and comotion of this campus is just overwhelming.   Yesterday was such a busy day, from getting here we checked in moved in shopped for essentials and groceries i unpacked organized met new roomates, and suitmates and prayer leaders we rearranged the room 50 times everyone went their seperate ways I went to see my BFF Abbys dorm across campus and helped her to unpack and organize {ya know us OCD like to organize} We then came back to see my place We went to dinner and i think my reaction in my head was exactly this "Holy hot boys" Yup, there are tons. Focusi...

Its super quiet around here, like an unheard of mystery.. But   Today was the day, where at 4am this was me: car jam packed, running on 2 hours of sleep and super psyched for a new chapter in my life. :) When we hit the VA line, the tears just started streaming. The overwhelming emotions of joy and thanks and complete humility to just appreciate what God has blessed me with. This is such a fun chapter to start, and I am diving in head over heels. After lots of shopping for groceries and hangers and everything in between, it was time to tell my mom goodbye. After 17 years of never leaving the same roof she was under, to watch her drive away knowing she wasnt coming back, was way too much to handle. So thankful my grandma came along to support me and mom. Im pretty sure that car ride home needed her ;) After everyone was gone, i took the time to set up my stuff and make it feel like home. And at last, i feel the rush of freedom and such maturi...

Do you ever have those days where you just ride down the road, and you know the moment the beat starts and you start to savor the words between stoplights, that God purposely put this song on the radio just for you. I adore those moments, and often just stop and smile upon thanking him for sweet subtle blessings. This morning as I went to spend a few hours with my close BFFs from high school before leaving for college Wednesday {lets not go there.} I was just riding the winding, super curvy country roads to my friends house, and a song came on the radio. Its my FAV station and its often scratchy and doesn't have the best signal, but this song came on and was as clear as crystal. "I wanna live with Abandon Give you all that I am Every part of my heart Jesus I place in your hands" So i started to ponder, am i living with abandon? Is everything that I am in his hands? Every part of my heart? I'm not so sure of that some days, but good...

With me heading off to college in a mere 5 days, Wait what?! We decided a family vacay was much in order. So up the mountain we went. You know you're gonna have a good time when your ears are popping and your gears are locking. Good times. We had such a wonderful time, and Im so thankful to have these memories to take with me when I go. -Austyn